We need teachers to get through our educational years, and fewer people are graduating with education degrees. Why is there less interest in people becoming teachers?

Maybe because of the low starting pay. Teachers go through a lot and most often see their students more than their own family. We depend on teachers daily to teach us the latest information and help progress our brains. The poor pay for teachers is nothing new. Teachers have protested low pay at state capitals around the nation, and the issue has influenced presidential candidates’ platforms. Competitive compensation is an apparent and significant method to recognize the demanding work teachers put in every day, but raising teacher pay has even more advantages supported by research. 

Few people desire to become teachers when there are issues with teacher salaries. According to a TIME poll, most respondents (76 percent) agreed that the low compensation for teaching discourages many people from entering the field. As a result, fewer teachers will be looking to fill the increased need for teachers and fewer teacher education program graduates. Unsurprisingly, research has found that teacher salary lowers turnover (which, in turn, increases student performance). An average of 8% of instructors leave the profession rather than switch to another school. Increasing teacher salaries in areas with significant needs can entice educators to work in those institutions. For instance, a San Francisco study discovered that the quantity and caliber of teacher candidates increased when the pay for teaching was raised. 

18% of teachers in the United States had side occupations in 2015–2016, including anything from retail to online teaching. Compared to non-teachers, teachers are 30% more likely to work a second job. Increasing teacher salaries would help them maintain their focus on the classroom and improve their morale as they would not need to perform a second job. Because of their low salaries, it is common for teachers in some places to be eligible for public assistance programs like food stamps or general health care plans (like children’s health insurance programs). This is true for teachers who are the family’s leading income provider or have prominent families. 

Students do better when teachers are compensated more. According to one study, a 10% increase in teacher salary would result in a 5–10% improvement in student performance. Students also gain long-term advantages from teacher compensation. Students complete more schooling, earn 7 percent more, and have a lower adult poverty rate when students spending is increased by 10 percent for every 12 years of education. For families living in poverty, these advantages are much more significant. It is unclear why students perform so much better when instructors are paid more, possibly because of improved teacher quality or adult assistance. My article on A Good Teacher, helps you realize one of the many reasons why teachers deserve higher pay. Whatever the cause, it is evident that teacher salaries need to rise.